Kampala, 16th/February/2018; Following the continued disappearance of the New Vision journalist, Charles Etukuli, the Vision Group has run to court seeking an order that the Attorney General and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) produce the journalist to Court without fail or release him unconditionally.

The High Court in Kampala set the 19th / February/ 2018 to hear the application filed by the Vision Group through lawyer Tony Kirabira. The applicant in the matter is Charles Etukuri whereas the Attorney General and the Director General of Internal Security Organisation are the respondents.

Kirabira told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that the grounds for the petition were that Charles was illegally arrested by the security operatives, adding that he is still being held incommunicado/ under illegal detention by his captors, and that the continued illegal detention of the of the journalist infringes on his right to personal liberty among other rights as enshrined under the 1995 Constitution.

According to the New Vision, Etukuri went missing on 12th February 2018 at about 2:00pm when he was picked by Internal Security Operatives at the Vision Group offices. His attempt to resist arrest proved futile as the security operatives over powered him and whisked away in a white double cabin that had six occupants, five in military attire and one in civilian clothes. The said car had reportedly parked near the Vision Group offices by 10:00 am.

It is not clear why he was arrested but sources say that it is related to stories that he published on Saturday 10th and 11th February 2018 about the demise of Finnish National who died at the Pearl of Africa Hotel in Kampala. In the story Etukuri indicated that senior army officers were involved in the murder.

“There is an escalation of attacks on journalists because of their work, which is an affront to freedom of the media and rights of the journalists in Uganda. There are better legally acceptable ways of causing arrest than resorting to kidnap and closure of media houses as is being evidenced lately. Charles should be produced to the courts of law to face juustice if he committed any offences of be released unconditionally.” Said the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala

Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) is a network of human rights journalists in Uganda working towards enhancing the promotion, protection and respect of human rights through defending and building the capacities of journalists, to effectively exercise their constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms for collective campaigning through the media.

Free Expression and the Law

Kampala, 20th /June/2017; The editor of Red Pepper Publications, Ben Byarabaha, was today quizzed by the Uganda Police media crimes unit for six hours over alleged “offensive communication” for publishing stories about the health of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), General Kale Kayihura. “You allegedly published an article titled, “Kayihura rushed to India” with intent to…

Kampala, 04th/ November/2017; Court in Kampala has ordered the police to produce to court or immediately release unconditionally two journalists Stanley Ndawula and Robert Ndawula of the Investigator an online publication. The duo has been in detention since 30th October, 2017 which is beyond the mandatory 48 hour rule. The order was issued in the…

Entebbe, 13th/September/2017;Police officers of Kigungu Post Police on September 13th ,2017 assaulted and confiscated gadgets of journalists who had gone to Kigungu Landing Site to cover the sensitization campaign of Democratic Party dubbed “Kogikwatako” against the amendment of the Age Limit clause. Two journalists, Ssebalamu Kigongo of Bukedde television was manhandled and Sande Ssebagala of…